English Idioms "Boggle My Mind" and "Blow Me Away")!
By Judith Maginnis Kuster
When writing these columns, at times I "draw a blank" trying to "crank out a paper." I have to "put on my thinking cap," "exercise my gray matter," and occasionally "hit the books" to "cover some new ground" and hope I don't "fall flat on my face." It is "a load off my mind" when I learn I'm not "teaching your grandmother to suck eggs." (I bet that's a new one to most of you--it means telling you something you already know). Even those of us who have completed not only "the three R's", but also "higher education" and may even "live in an ivory tower" are "at our wit's end" when we "come face to face" with a "dead line."
Now--draw pictures to illustrate the above paragraph!!
Teaching figurative language is often an important part of treatment for children and adults who have language disabilities or who are learning English as a second language. One interesting component of figurative language is the understanding and use of idioms. Everyday conversation and writing is filled with idioms.
A 2008 ASHA Convention poster session, "Implementation of Classwide Peer Tutoring Strategies to Facilitate Idiom Comprehension" by Erin Lundblom and Juliann Woods states that "idioms should be an intergral part of vocabulary and reading instruction in the classroom; however, idioms are often neglected." ( http://convention.asha.org/handouts/1420_1645Lundblom_Erin_124865_Nov12_2008_Time_111957AM.pdf). This column highlights several internet resources for introducing idioms to children and adults.
Idiom Illustrations
- Idioms by Kids (www.idiomsbykids.com) - has more than 1000 pictures of idioms drawn by children. The pictures illustrate the literal, rather than the figurative, meaning. Children can submit their own drawings.
- EEOS Codes provides URLs to four pages of clever idiom glitter graphics (www.eeoscodes.com/graphics/idioms-graphics/) that illustrate literal meanings.
- Eye on Idioms (www.readwritethink.org/materials/idioms/) is an interactive site that contains nicely illustrated idioms, choices of what they represent, a box to enter the metaphorical meaning of the idiom, and another box to use the idiom in a sentence. Students can print out their answers to hand in.
- Create a PowerPoint activity using several of the idiom illustrations, starting with templates available at:
Idioms for Kids
- Paint by Idioms (www.funbrain.com/idioms/) is especially for children, with "easy" or "hard" idioms and several choices of activities; for each correct answer, part of a character is painted.
- Quia has several idiom activities - Face Idioms (www.quia.com/jg/66234.html) additional games by Pamela Bordas (www.quia.com/pages/pbordasidioms.html) and Lonn Swanson (www.quia.com/quiz/261977.html).
Lesson Plans; Activity Ideas
For Older Clients
- English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions (www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idioms_proverbs.html) lists idioms and their meanings.
- English Idioms (http://web1.150240.vserver.de/cgi-bin/main.cgi) includes an "idiom of the day."
- Pocket English Idioms (www.GoEnglish.com/EnglishIdiomsPhrasesLearningDictionaryKeywordsIndex.asp) provides an alphabetical dictionary with keywords in the idiom and a sentence illustrating the idiom.
- Idiom Site (www.idiomsite.com/) lists many common idioms and their metaphorical meanings.
- Self-Study Idiom Quizzes (http://a4esl.org/q/h/idioms.html) has several multiple-choice quizzes with the idiom illustrated in a sentence.
- Idiom worksheets (www.cccoe.net/social/SAIdiomintro.htm) provides a literal picture of each idiom and a worksheet.
- American English Idioms (funeasyenglish.com/american-english-idioms.htm) provides idioms, definitions, and illustrating sentences.
- The ESL Idiom Page by Dennis Oliver (www.eslcafe.com/idioms/id-mngs.html) provides a long list of idioms and their the definitions, followed by illustrating sentences.
- The Idiom Connection (www.towerofenglish.com/AthensAegean6720.html) organizes idioms alphabetically and by theme and offers a dictionary.
- English idioms and quizzes (www.idiomconnection.com) - Idioms A (e.g. "all thumbs") to Z (e.g. "zonk out") in addition to twenty-five category idioms (e.g. school idioms such as "book worm" and "school of hard knocks.")
- Online Tutoring World offers three levels of idioms quizzes
It also offers tic-tac-toe games using idioms about relationships using idioms about relationships (www.onlinetutoringworld.com/activities/tictactoe.htm), medicine (www.onlinetutoringworld.com/activities/tictactoemedical.htm), business (www.onlinetutoringworld.com/activities/tictactoebusiness.htm) and education (www.onlinetutoringworld.com/activities/tictactoeeducation.htm)
If clients do not understand figurative language, they will be "fooled." I hope the above resources "make light work" for you to "take matters into your own hands" and "be on the ball" in providing some "cutting edge" activities about idioms for your some of your clients!
Judith Kuster is a professor in the Department of Speech, Hearing, and Rehabilitation Services at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Contact her at judith.kuster@mnsu.edu. All of Kuster's Internet columns are on ASHA's Web site in HTML format with active links (www.asha.org/about/publications/leader-online/archives/news.htm), although URLs change and there is no guarantee that links from previous articles are still functional.
Kuster, JM, Idioms "Boggle My Mind" and "Blow Me Away"!, The ASHA Leader, May 5, 2009, p. 32.